94 REPORT— 1839. 



small bodies varying a little in size and shape attached to the external 

 parietes of the stomach, not within it, but apparently in the tissue of 

 the animal. 



Mr. Lankester made a communication on some specimens of the 

 White Bream. Amongst the fish taken at Campsall, is one resembling 

 the White Bream (^Ahramis hlicca). These fish vary very much, and 

 do not quite agree with the descriptions given by Mr. Yarrell ; from 

 which certain distinctions were pointed out by Mr. Lankester. 



MEDICAL. 



Abstracts of a remarkable case of Rupture of the Duodenum, and of 

 some other interesting Cases. By Sir David J. H. Dickson, F.R.S. 

 Ed., F.L.S. 



1st. Richard Hawkins, — M. set, 40, was admitted into this hospital 

 Srd March, 1839, at three o'clock p.m., and died before midnight. 

 The symptoms were, severe pain in the region of the caecum and as- 

 cending colon ; quick, restless, impatient manner ; pale, haggard, anx> 

 ious countenance ; short, hurried respiration, and very weak, quick, 

 irregular pulse. Depletion and aperients had been resorted to before, 

 and leeching. Fomentations and purgatives, enemata, &c., after admis- 

 sion, without affording any relief, and at half-past eleven he expired. 

 It was ascertained that he had been drinking and wrestling, three days 

 previously, when he was thrown with violence, backwards, on the breech 

 of a gun; but he did not suff'er much pain until the morning of admis- 

 sion, when he felt excruciating pain whilst straining at stool. Dissec- 

 tion, 40 hours post mortem, discovered the following lesions. The 

 stomach and bowels were distended with flatus, and there was some 

 gas in the cavity of the abdomen. The transverse and descending 

 colon were much contracted ; a quantity of ingesta had escaped from 

 four perforations near the termination of the duodenum, three of which 

 were large enough to admit the end of the finger, and from one to two 

 inches apart. The mucus and muscular coats of this gut were pellucid 

 and attenuated, as having undergone ramollissement and absorption, 

 in consequence of which, the peritoneal coat seemed to have given way 

 from distension or mechanical violence. From its peculiar course, and 

 the manner in which the duodenum is bound down, Sir David Dickson 

 deems it fair to infer that this gut may be more liable to injury, from 

 particular causes, than the more free and floating intestines, — such 

 as require violent exertions and contortions. It is known that 

 sudden death frequently follows certain feats of tumbling, horse- 

 manship, &c., accomplished by retroversion of the body; and, if exami- 



